Purbiya
| Purbiya | |
|---|---|
| Populated states | Bihar and Awadh |
Purbiya (or Purbia) was a common term used in medieval India for Rajput soldiers from the eastern Gangetic Plain - areas corresponding to present-day Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh.[1]
History
Purbiya was a common term given to the soldiers of Awadh and Bhojpur who served as mercenaries for the rulers of west and north India. The rulers of Malwa were keen recruiters due to Purbiyas' expertise with firearms. This expertise may have been gained due to the easy availability of saltpetre in their native areas.[2] Most Purbiyas were mercenaries and were paid for their services but some were actual kings of smaller principalities.[3][4]
Prior to 1857, the British East India Company preferred to recruit Purbiya soldiers, who they designated as "The fighting tribes of the Hindoos and the Musselmen", or simply "Easterners".[5][6] The Bengal Army of the East India Company preferred to recruit its sepoys from the Brahmins and Rajputs of Awadh and Bihar, in part because they had an average height of 5'8", an important consideration in an army that valued impressive appearance amongst its soldiers.[7]
1857 mutiny
The Purbiya sepoys of the Bengal Army played a major role in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 against the British. Mangal Pandey, a notable figure during the start of the mutiny, was a Purbiya serving in the 34th Bengal Native Infantry. Following the suppression of the uprising, British authorities decided not to recruit troops from the eastern plains, and the new Bengal Army was to be recruited primarily from the Sikh and Muslim communities of the Punjab.[8][9] Purbiya recruitment from the western regions of the United Provinces and the Delhi region continued but on a much smaller scale.
Notable people
- Kunwar Singh – King of Jagdispur in Bhojpur and a leader during the 1857 rebellion in Bihar
- Silhadi – Tomar Rajput chieftain of northeastern Malwa in the early 16th century. He commanded a mercenary force of Purbiyas and is sometimes referred to as such.
References
- ↑ The Rajputs of Rajputana.
- ↑ Ernst, Waltraud; Pati, Biswamoy (2007). India's Princely States: People, Princes and Colonialism. Routledge. p. 57. ISBN 978-1-134-11988-2.
- ↑ Naravane, M. S. (1999). The Rajputs of Rajputana: A Glimpse of Medieval Rajasthan. APH Publishing. p. 23. ISBN 978-81-7648-118-2.
- ↑ Journal of Indian history, Volume 66, Dept. of History, University of Kerala, 1988
- ↑ Roy, Kaushik; Lorge, Peter. Chinese and Indian Warfare – From the Classical Age to 1870. p. 335.
- ↑ Mason, Philip. A Matter of Honour. pp. 229 & 573. ISBN 0-333-41837-9.
- ↑ Roy, Kaushik (2012). Hinduism and the Ethics of Warfare in South Asia: From Antiquity to the Present. p. 214.
- ↑ Roy, Kaushik. Military Manpower, Armies and Warfare in South Asia. p. 6.
- ↑ Mason, Philip. A Matter of Honour. p. 305. ISBN 0-333-41837-9.
Further reading
- M K A Siddiqui (ed.), Marginal Muslim Communities in India, Institute of Objective Studies, New Delhi (2004)
- Dasharatha Sharma Rajasthan through the Ages a comprehensive and authentic history of Rajasthan, prepared under the orders of the Government of Rajasthan. First published 1966 by Rajasthan Archives.